Hatake Kakashi and the Haunted Yukata
by DragonCastle
Summary: The deal was simple. He helps the pretty ghost move on to afterlife, and then he gets a nice, ghost-free apartment with half the rent of his previous place. Win-win. A really late entry to KakaSaku Month 2017, with the prompt Kimono/Yukata
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I wanted to do all prompts for the last KakaSaku month, but I was in the middle of studying for board exams back then, if I remember correctly, so this was put in the back burner. However, I swore to myself that I would make something (art/fic) for all prompts so here I am, posting for KakaSaku month almost a year late, lol. The prompt was: Yukata/Kimono.

Also, this was supposed to be a one-shot with around 1k ish words. And now it evolved into this word vomit.

* * *

When Kakashi moved in to this apartment smack-dab in the middle of town with half the rent of his previous place, he simply thought it was a stroke of good fortune. When he found a dusty, bright red yukata folded up in the corner of one of the closets, he didn't think twice of the nervous glances the owner of the apartment complex sent him.

 _"Just, let it be, okay? Don't ever touch it if you could help it."_

At the moment, Kakashi chalked it up to the eccentricities of an older man and shrugged. The place was a steal and he'll be damned if it slips away from his fingers just because he couldn't let go of some old man's oddities. Now that the pots and pans were clanging in his kitchen in the dead of the night, Kakashi wished he had.

He also wished he could chalk up the strange banging to a wind draft but his kitchenware were safely stored inside his cabinets. The first few times it happened, he hoped it was a burglar. Hell, a burglar was easy to deal with. He wasn't a cop for nothing. The translucent entity residing in his home along with him though, was a completely different matter altogether. He first caught a glimpse of it when he went to the comfort room in the middle of the night. Just as he was returning to his room, he saw it glide across the kitchen, slowly approaching him.

Now, Kakashi was a brave man. But he was also smart, and his brain told him to get the fuck out of there before that white, glowy _thingy_ feasted on his innards as he helplessly screamed for help or death, whichever came first. In retrospect, Kakashi mused that ghosts don't even eat humans at all, but it was 2AM and his brain wasn't even functioning enough to properly shoot his pee in the toilet. Five days after that fateful encounter with the unknown – also five days of stretching his bladder's limit to hold it in in the middle of the night – Kakashi can't take it anymore. He absolutely had to go and piss.

Yet, the clanging of pots and pans and various kitchenware resounded in his tiny apartment, convincing Kakashi that maybe wetting his bed was the better option.

 _No._ Kakashi thought. He was better than this. His father taught him better. His father also taught him how to run quickly, so he was pretty positive he could make a mad dash from his room to the bathroom and vice versa without White & Glowy noticing. Taking a deep breath, he opened his bedroom door and sprinted.

And everything had gone according to plan, at least up until this point. His bladder, relieved, and no ghostly encounter tonight to speak of, Kakashi thought that maybe things are starting to look up. That was, until he turned and found himself face to face with doe-like green eyes.

He thought he heard a voice say "what is it with men and their inability to pee _inside_ the bowl" before he passed out.

When he came to his senses, all he sees is a hazy white. "Am I dead?" He whispered, rather put off that he died of fright of a ghost. He could just imagine the amount of ribbing his dead father would put him through once they meet again on the other side.

"No," he heard a voice say, "but I am."

Quickly crashing back to reality, Kakashi realized the hazy white color he was seeing was actually part of the ghost that assaulted him. Panic kicking in, he jumped up and backed up to the bathroom walls to get away from the entity. He grabbed a nearby shampoo bottle and wielded it like a bat.

"What do you want? What are you?" He managed to shout without stuttering. That was when he noticed that the ghost was actually a girl. It was clad in a grayish white yukata, the same shade as the rest of her. Her eyes were green, her hair pink, both colors dull and muted. She looked like the subject of an unfinished portrait, her surroundings a vivid color compared to her washed out tones.

"You don't have to be rude," the ghost said sounding rather put off. "Anyway, I'm Sakura and, obviously, I'm dead." She said extending out a pale, ghostly arm.

Kakashi looked at the hand in front of him dubiously. "What do you want from me? Leave me alone!"

The ghost – _Sakura –_ rolled her eyes as she retracted back the hand that Kakashi obviously doesn't want to shake. "Oh, I will. I want to cross over to the next life as soon as possible. It's not fun being stuck here. But I can't. And I need your help."

When Kakashi moved in an apartment smack-dab in the middle of the city with to a too-good-to-be-true rent, he should have realized that it came with a few repercussions. Said repercussion was currently lounging (or rather, floating) on top of his couch as he eyed it warily. It was annoyed at being called 'it' though and insisted on Kakashi referring to her by her proper name. _Sakura._ Kakashi thought it was a pretty name. Fitting for a ghost as pretty as her, that is, as pretty as ghosts could ever be. He wondered if she was a real beauty when she was alive.

"Well, yeah, in fact I am. I have two overprotective best friends who happen to be built like barns though. Really close, the lot of us. Knew them since we still had nappies. However, their presence puts off any prospective suitors. Also, you don't have much of a brain-to-mouth filter don't you?" She remarked.

"It's close to 3AM." Kakashi mumbled. "My brain-to-mouth filter is asleep. As should the rest of me."

"You can have all the sleep you want later. After you help me pass on, that is. After that, you get a nice, ghost-free apartment and all it took you was helping a girl in need."

Kakashi didn't really have a choice. The apartment was such a good steal after all.

* * *

When Kakashi arrived home that night, he had a huge stack of folders in his arms. It drew a few stares at the police station as Kakashi was notorious for being as good in the field as bad as he was with paperwork and it garnered attention that he was bringing work home. Upon seeing his documents, Sakura also questioned him about it.

"We're finding out who murdered you." Kakashi replied, releasing the stack of folders on his apartment's coffee table as he crashed beside Sakura on the couch.

Sakura frowned, "I don't even remember how I died. How do you know I'm murdered?"

Kakashi looked at her as if she was a particularly daft child. "Why else would you be hanging around here if not for a bloodthirsty desire for brutal revenge towards your murderer?" He finished with a childish glee that had Sakura raising an eyebrow at him. Despite his initial misgivings, he was obviously enjoying playing detective.

"Rrrright. Looks like somebody watches too much police dramas." Sakura said not fully convinced of his logic. She sighed, "I suppose it's a decent start, though. Any leads?"

"I went through some files and found some cases with unidentified female victims. One of these could be you. We could go through this pile and see if it rings any bells."

"Okay." Sakura nodded. Kakashi cleared his throat and began reciting the contents of the file closest to him.

"Body was found 3rd of May 2017 with multiple stab wounds and signs of torture. Feel familiar? Any phantom pains anywhere?" Kakashi asked.

Sakura frowned, "well, no. I don't think so. Glad I don't, though. That sounds like a horrid way to die."

Kakashi nodded thoughtfully, "yeah, I didn't think so either. You don't look forty-three to me." He said, looking at the age at the top of the file.

"Excuse me! I'm only twenty-three!" Sakura huffed in indignation.

"Really?" Kakashi said disbelievingly, "I'd say you're around twenty-eight at the youngest."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "If I could just touch you now, I'd disembowel you."

Kakashi tsked. "Such anger. Ever thought that's why you died? Remember any enemies you made?"

"I don't have any enemies." She said, rolling her eyes. "You can ask Naruto and Sasuke, you know, the best friends I told you about who are built like barns"

"Well, if I could ask them, let alone find them, I would not just ask them that but also what happened to you so that we can get this over with. However, it just so conveniently happened that you _don't_ know where to find them. Some best friend you are." Kakashi said, snarkily.

"I forgot, okay?" Sakura said, irritated, "I can only remember bits and pieces from when I'm alive. Unfortunately, where they live isn't one of them." She sighed, visibly deflated, "hell, I don't even remember a lot about myself."

Kakashi looked at the young spirit seated beside him. Right now, she looked and sounded less like a ghost he should be scared of, and more of a young girl who has lost her way. "I miss them, you know." She continued, melancholy tinging her voice. "I tried looking for them before but I can't go too far from here. I'm literally tied to this place." At that moment, Sakura looked so forlorn and so much like a lost little kid that Kakashi can't help but think that it's cute. Her pout tugged on heartstrings that he thought were long dead and he spoke without really thinking about it.

"What if," Kakashi said, "I look for them for you?"

Sakura's eyes widened, her visage brightening visibly, "you'd do that? For me?"

Kakashi really would prefer not to, as he hated extra work, but he found himself agreeing. "Sure. Maybe that's why you're stuck here. Not because you wanted revenge but because you wanted to say goodbye. It's another common theme in horror movies." _Oh well_ , he rationalized _, maybe doing this favour for her would speed up his acquisition of a ghost-free apartment_.

Sakura laughed, a pretty bell-like sound in Kakashi's opinion. He wondered whether that's how ghosts laughed in general. "Thank you, Kakashi." She said with a grin.

Kakashi couldn't help but smile back.

* * *

A newfound zeal for paperwork has been noticed in Hatake Kakashi that made his fellow policemen wonder on whether to call an exorcist. Surely, the man is possessed or cursed? The last time Hatake Kakashi willingly volunteered to archive old reports was when he was fresh out of police academy and was still a bright-eyed, hopeful twenty-something. The current Hatake Kakashi, though, while still the most excellent member the police force could ever ask for, could not be bothered with routinary, menial tasks like paper-pushing. Today, though, a huge stack of folders were on his desk as he combed through them like a madman. He had been barking orders all day, bullying his subordinates into a frenzied panic. When fresh blood, Sarutobi Konohamaru, came knocking to Shiranui Genma's door pleading for someone to please, _please_ , have mercy and talk some sense to Hatake-senpai, the older man only smirked. Hatake had always been rather famous for hazing new hires. When the day came that Kakashi, the man who never arrives at the station earlier than 10 AM, told Genma to come tomorrow to work at the ungodly hour of six in the morning, Genma decided that enough is enough.

"Yeah, right, okay. Not gonna happen. We're going to talk about your phase, Hatake."

Kakashi raised his eyes from the folder he was examining, "my what?"

"Don't act like you don't know! You've changed!" Genma cried, like a scorned lover.

"I have no clue what you're talking about," Kakashi replied, his interest in this conversation officially depleted, "now if you have nothing else to say, I have to get back to my work. See you tomorrow at six."

Genma let out a cry of frustration. "This! This is what I'm talking about!"

Kakashi looked at him dubiously, "you have a problem with me looking at paperwork or coming to work early?"

Genma huffed, "don't make me sound stupid!"

"I've never had to try," Kakashi muttered.

"There's something weird about you these days, Hatake." Genma continued, "before, you wouldn't even touch these things, saying that they don't interest you and then pawn them off the new hires! I'm pretty sure you would be fired if you weren't this station's chief, to be honest. But now, you're even telling me to come to work at _fucking_ six! Last week, you wouldn't even be here before ten!"

"Your point is?" Kakashi drawled in a lazy voice.

"Look at you now! Poring through these files like a man possessed and we don't even have a case to crack! You've thrown this whole place in a frenzy, Hatake!"

"I don't think there's anything wrong with that." Kakashi replied serenely.

Genma sighed, "well, yes, but it's so weird."

It was Kakashi's turn to sigh. "Look, Genma, if I'm suddenly interested in certain individuals and decide to do some background checks on them, I'm pretty sure it's fine as long as I'm not hurting other cases."

"You're hurting my sleep schedule," Genma pouted.

Kakashi rolled his eyes. "You'll live."

"Kakashiiiii!" Genma whined pitifully.

Kakashi sighed, "fine, I'll make it six-thirty."

Genma was about to protest that no, six-thirty isn't all that better, when he was interrupted by three sharp raps on the door followed by ridiculously glossy head of hair poking in.

"Itachi-kun!" Genma cried, "perfect timing! Will you please tell our superior that he's being unreasonable by making a dashing young guy with a bustling social life like me report to work at six-thirty?"

Itachi didn't even spare him a glance. "Here's the paperwork you were asking for, Hatake-san."

"Thank you, Itachi." Kakashi replied.

The younger man was about to exit the room but Genma wasn't allowing him to escape that easily. "Hey, hey, Itachi, you don't have anything planned tonight, right? Maybe you could fill in for me tomorrow. I have a hot date tonight with a blonde bombshell and I'm pretty sure it would go pretty well. Can't really leave a pretty lady like that alone in bed at the morning, can't I? Huh? Huh?" Genma said, as he punctuated each 'huh' by inching closer to Itachi's face. The younger man, finally realizing that he has to acknowledge his idiotic colleague, sighed in poorly concealed annoyance.

"Shiranui-san, even if I were free, I wouldn't cover for you." Itachi replied pointedly. "As it so happens, I have a family dinner tonight. My little brother, Sasuke, is back in town."

Kakashi's ears pricked up. "Did you say Sasuke?"

* * *

The odds of Sakura's Sasuke being the same person as Itachi's Sasuke was approximately one in a hundred as there were quite a handful of Sasukes in Konoha. Nonetheless, he had a good feeling about it and a good cop always trusted their gut. After a quick interrogation about Uchiha Sasuke, Kakashi declared that he was calling it a day – _but it's only 3PM! Yes, Genma, I know how to read the clock –_ and sped home. Sakura would be thrilled.

He found her alternating between sobbing quite hard and wailing like a banshee. Kakashi stared at her as he kicked off his shoes. "You okay?" She let out another ghastly screech that Kakashi was sure would have sent chills down his spine. If only he hadn't seen the funny way her face contorted as she wailed.

Sakura turned her head as if noticing him for the first time, "oh. You're home early." She said, gliding towards him, normal as can be, as if she wasn't on the floor earlier and screaming her little ghost lungs out.

"Care to tell me what that was all about?" Kakashi said, crashing on the couch. Sakura's lips quirked up into a mischievous smile.

"Did you know that every afternoon, the owner of this complex comes up here and places his ear on this very door?" She said in conspiratorially.

"And?"

"He thinks this place is haunted!" Sakura declared.

"Aaaand, he's right." Kakashi deadpanned.

Sakura huffed, "you're no fun. I just give him a show so that going up three flights of stairs to listen at your door won't be a waste. He's a nice old man. I don't want to give him disappointment."

"So you give him a heart attack instead."

Sakura waved him off, "psh, nothing but a little adrenaline to get the old bones jumping. Anyway, you haven't told me why you're home early."

"Oh, right," Kakashi said, suddenly remembering what happened at the station. "I've got a few leads on your identity as well as your friends'. Does the name 'Uchiha' ring any bells?"

Suddenly, like a dam breaking, a flood of memories washed over Sakura.

 _Her first memory of the Uchihas as a family was Sasuke's fifth birthday party. Her mother had dressed her in her finest clothes, which she would later dirty after a tussle in the grass with Naruto and the birthday boy. Mikoto and Fugaku were the picture of a proud and esteemed couple. Itachi, a doting elder brother. And Sasuke, a disgruntled five-year-old in scratchy clothing. It was a fun party, even though it ended with Naruto splitting his lower lip, Sakura getting a monstrous bruise at the side of her face, and Sasuke bawling his eyes out._

 _Sakura remembered getting her first confession in middle school. It was just before Christmas and a boy named Kiba wanted to spend the day with her. From out of nowhere, Sasuke and Naruto appeared from behind her back. "She's spending Christmas with us." She heard Sasuke say as he and Naruto took one each of her arms and marched her away._

 _Naruto's first girlfriend was a shy girl called Hinata. Sakura remembered asking the boys why they were allowed to get girlfriends, yet they chase away any guy who came close to her. "Because all men are trash." They answered in unison._

 _Sasuke wanted to be a cop like his older brother. He went to police academy and promptly dragged Naruto along with him. The academy, however, was in a different city than Sakura's medical school. While she would surely miss her bestfriends, maybe at least her lovelife would be able to bloom now that they're gone._

 _It didn't. Naruto and Sasuke visited often enough that they were constant presences in Sakura's university. Often enough to glare menacingly at any potential suitors. Maybe getting a boyfriend is still not in the cards for the near future._

"Sakura?" She heard a voice say, breaking her away from her trance-like state. She looked at the origin of the voice, disoriented. "You spaced out for a moment."

"Uchiha Sasuke. Uzumaki Naruto." She breathed, savouring the way the names rolled off her tongue. She looked at Kakashi, "both police academy students. I'm in medical school."

Kakashi nodded thoughtfully, "so your friend is my subordinate's younger brother after all."

Sakura raised a brow, "you work with Itachi nii-san?"

"I'm his superior." Kakashi replied. Sakura looked at him in disbelief.

"You're the police chief of Konoha? You?"

Kakashi raised his hands in mock surrender, "well, please don't sound too surprised. I'm pretty good at my job, you know."

"You looked like you would piss your pants when you first saw me and I bet you would have pissed your pants too if you hadn't just pissed then."

"I like to work with hardened criminals not barely-out-of-their-teens bratty spirits. Did you know you used the word piss three times in one sentence. Not very ladylike."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Bite me."

"Kinky."

* * *

Finding a reason to gate crash his subordinate's family dinner was something Kakashi didn't expect he'd be doing ever in his life. He also never expected to help a trapped ghost pass on, but such was life, and here he was at Konoha's top Japanese restaurant in his nicer clothes and seated right behind Uchiha Itachi's ridiculously glossy head of hair. Maybe sticking gum in it would be the conversation starter he was hoping for.

Sadly for Kakashi, aside from this being a terrible plan, it was also unnecessary as Itachi chose that moment to rise from his seat to go to the comfort room. Their eyes met as Itachi turned. "Hatake-san?"

"Oh, Itachi! I didn't know you were in this restaurant." Kakashi exclaimed in mock surprise. It's been so long since he'd had to do undercover work, he hoped his acting skills were still up to par.

"Yes, I'm with my family." Itachi said, gesturing to his parents and brother.

Kakashi zeroed in on Sasuke almost immediately. He looked like a surlier Itachi - if such a feat were even possible - but with shorter hair. Now, how to get this boy who was currently scowling at his tea to meet Sakura? Kakashi directed a polite smile towards Itachi's parents which the couple returned. Then he turned to Sasuke, "ah, this must be your little brother then? Heard he wants to join our ranks soon. Nice to meet you, Sasuke. I'm Hatake Kakashi." Kakashi said as he stood up to shake Sasuke's hand.

Sasuke raised his gaze from his cup to the hand currently extended in front of him. "Charmed," the younger Uchiha said dryly. Itachi smacked him behind the head. "I mean, nice to meet you, too, Hatake-san." Sasuke said, extending his hand to meet Kakashi's.

"Forgive my brother's rudeness, Hatake-san." Itachi said with a bow, a curtain of hair falling down beside his face.

"Oh, no worries, Itachi. Tell me more about yourself, Sasuke. I've always been curious about Itachi's brother." Kakashi said in a voice he deemed as friendly.

Itachi raised a brow, "really? Because I believe this morning was the first time I've mentioned having a brother at all."

Oops. So much for trying to make friends to gain Sasuke's trust. "You've mentioned it before I'm sure," Kakashi bluffed, "after all, how will I know about Sasuke if not through you?"

Itachi looked like someone thoroughly unconvinced but decided to let it go. Sasuke rolled his eyes and turned to his parents, "can I go now? Naruto and I have somewhere to be."

Jackpot for Kakashi. Since Sasuke was meeting this Naruto, maybe he can get them both to see Sakura tonight. He should have realized, though, that there was such as a thing as _too_ enthusiastic, and his interest in Sasuke now crosses that territory. Itachi eyed him warily, as if wondering why is normally aloof superior is showing this much attention to his little brother. Kakashi, meanwhile, had been too excited at the prospect of allowing Sakura to meet her friends again, he didn't notice that Itachi was already noticing something was off.

"Ah, leaving so soon, Sasuke-kun?" Kakashi said with what he thought was a friendly grin but what actually looked more like a predatory leer that creeped out the younger man.

"Yes," Sasuke nodded warily.

Kakashi's grin broadened and got creepier. "What a coincidence! I'll be leaving as well. Let me accompany you to the parking lot!" He exclaimed, drawing a hard stare from the elder Uchiha brother that Kakashi didn't notice.

Sasuke's eyes widened at the suggestion. "That won't be necessary. I'mleavingnowbye." He said in a rush before practically sprinting out the restaurant.

"Sasuke, wait!" Cried Kakashi as he stood up to follow the younger man. Suddenly, he felt a strong grip hinder him. He turned and met the cold eyes of his subordinate. "Itachi, let me go." Kakashi told him.

"No." Itachi replied, firmly. Because Uchiha Itachi was a good brother and good brothers don't leave their little brothers with superiors who looked like they were up to no good.

* * *

It took the rest of the night for Kakashi to convince Itachi that he had nothing but pure intentions towards spending time with the younger Uchiha and it sucked that Sakura didn't appear sympathetic towards his plight either.

"You acted like a total creep." Sakura declared as soon as he finished his story.

"Well, thanks. Not like I was doing this for your own good or anything." Kakashi replied indignantly.

"You could have acted less creepy about it." Sakura said as-a-matter-of-factly. "Who the hell would be that enthusiastic to go to a dark parking lot with someone they just met. I bet you were smiling your creepy smile too."

"I don't have a creepy smile!" Kakashi protested.

"You do." Sakura deadpanned, "sometimes, you direct it at me. I would have feared for my life if only I weren't already dead."

"Do I need to remind you that I'm a cop? I apprehend psychotic, scary men with little girl fetishes. I am not the psychotic, scary man." Kakashi replied, defending his honor.

"Says you," Sakura muttered under her breath.

"Keep that up and I'll take away that bowl of ramen you've been – what are you doing with it anyway?" Kakashi asked with a tilt of his head as he looked at Sakura who appeared to be continuously passing through a bowl of take-out ramen in a back-and-forth motion.

Sakura sighed, "I'm trying to taste this bowl of ramen, you idiot."

"You can do that by passing through a bowl?" Kakashi asked, his interest piqued.

"'Try' is the operative word," Sakura replied disappointedly. "Never thought I'd see the day I'd miss the taste of ramen."

"Not much of a ramen fan, huh?"

"Not really," Sakura said as she glided her way to Kakashi's side and assumed a sitting position beside him, though her butt still hovered off the couch. "It's the only thing Naruto wants to eat. You try not getting tired of ramen after eating it almost everyday for the entirety of high school."

"Ichiraku's ramen is the best, though. While I don't know what ramen you're eating back then, eating Ichiraku's would have made the ordeal more bearable."

"Oh, we were eating Ichiraku's," Sakura replied with a fond smile playing on her face, as if remembering the past. "It's Naruto's favourite. In fact, it's the only place where he wants to eat at whenever he and Sasuke are in town."

"Sounds like an unhealthy obsession," Kakashi observed.

Sakura laughed, "oh, you have no idea. Sasuke and I always worried that Naruto would get kidnapped someday by a strange man who offered ramen instead of candy."

Kakashi chuckled, "did it happen?"

"Oh god, thankfully, no. We told him to never speak to strangers and soon, the two of them eventually bulked up so I'm pretty sure nobody can kidnap Naruto anymore even if they wanted to."

"Ha. Maybe I should just kidnap Naruto with ramen and bring him here so that you can see them at last." Kakashi said with a snort.

He didn't like that Sakura looked at him like he was some sort of genius.

* * *

It's really a testament to the circle of life that Kakashi, a cop who had chased thieves and apprehended kidnappers, is now in the middle of trying to abduct a twenty-three year old man who looked even more buff than Kakashi himself. He had hung out for quite a bit at Ichiraku's and found out who Naruto was by hearing the owner, Teuchi, call out to him. Apparently, he went here enough to be on first-name basis with the owner. Taking a seat at the far booth, Kakashi began to wrack his brain for ideas on how to get Naruto to Sakura. Hopefully, a legal one would pop up soon.

"Hey!" Said a cheery voice that roused Kakashi from his musings. "Mind if I sit here?" And by some stroke of good fortune, Kakashi found himself face to face with one Uzumaki Naruto, who happened to be gesturing to the empty seat in front of the older man.

"Oh, um, sure." Kakashi found himself mumbling in dumbstruck agreement.

"Thanks! It's really hard to get a seat during the lunch rush. My name's Naruto, by the way." Naruto said, as he plopped his tray of ramen on the table and promptly began to eat. Internally, Kakashi compared the stark contrast between Sakura's bestfriends. Naruto was bubbling with uncontained energy and cheer. Meanwhile, Sasuke was surly and disinterested for practically the whole time Kakashi interacted with him.

"Kakashi," Kakashi said as a way of introducing himself.

Naruto grinned, "nice to meet you! I haven't seen you before and I'm quite the regular here. But then again, I haven't been here for quite a while."

"Oh? And why's that? Found a better ramen joint to frequent?"

Naruto's face collapsed into a scandalized expression. "No!" He denied vehemently, "there's no ramen better than Ichiraku's!" Kakashi found himself chuckling. Sakura was right. It really does seem like this boy worships Ichiraku's ramen.

"If that's the case, then why haven't you been here for a while, Naruto?" Kakashi replied as Naruto's face furrowed into a frown.

"Oh. Well, a friend of mine got into trouble. There was an accident, you see." Kakashi's ears perked up. He must be talking about Sakura.

"Really?" Kakashi replied, trying to seem disinterested. "Mind telling me? I'm rather curious and you'll probably feel better after venting."

Naruto smiled, one that didn't quite reach his eyes. It seemed infinitely sadder compared to his earlier cheerful grins. "I don't want to trouble you with my problems, Kakashi-san."

Kakashi was about to reply that no, it was absolutely okay for Naruto to vent and maybe he'd want to get drinks with Kakashi at his apartment? He did look like he needed a friend, after all.

Thankfully for Kakashi, he didn't get a chance to blurt out his spiel, which, to be honest, sounded rather creepy given that he and Naruto just met. Not so thankfully for Kakashi, he was interrupted by the arrival of one Uchiha Sasuke who looked grumpier than he did on the night that Kakashi first met him.

"Oi, dobe!" Kakashi heard Sasuke's voice coming from Ichiraku's entrance. Upon seeing the shock of blonde hair that belonged to his friend, Sasuke made a beeline towards their table. "I knew I'd find you here." He said with a smirk.

"Did you bring your car?" Naruto asked, his earlier cheer returning to his voice.

"Yes. It's in the parking – wait a minute," Sasuke's eyes widened. His gaze was on Kakashi who had a finger raised in a salute. "What are you doing here?" Sasuke asked.

"Yo." Kakashi greeted.

Naruto looked at the two, "you know each other?"

"I met him when I was at dinner with my family the other day," Sasuke replied. "He's Itachi's boss."

Naruto's eyes widened in interest. "Really? You're a cop? Sasuke and I are at police academy, you know!"

Kakashi was about to reply, but was then interrupted by Sasuke once more. "You're talking too much again, Naruto. How many times must I tell you not to talk to strangers?"

Naruto pouted, "but there were no other seats, Sasuke! And Kakashi-san has been really nice too!"

"Ah, yes," Kakashi managed to say, "it's been nice meeting Naruto, and you again as well, Sasuke."

Sasuke turned to Kakashi once more, "yes, well it's been nice to see you too again Hatake-san." He said in a way that suggested it hasn't been anything close to nice at all. "But, you see, Naruto and I have somewhere else to be."

"But, Sasuke! You said we're having lunch here before we leave!" Naruto whined.

"You look like you're already done." Sasuke said, looking pointedly at Naruto's empty bowl.

"I was planning to get a second one," Naruto grumbled under his breath.

"The second one's going to have to wait." Sasuke said, pulling Naruto up by the sleeve. "Come along now, Naruto."

"Aww, alright, alright," Naruto then turned to Kakashi, "it's nice to meet you, Kakashi-san!" He said with a bright smile before turning back to his friend.

For a while, Kakashi thought it a waste that Sasuke arrived when he did and prevented him from learning more about Naruto, and by extension, Sakura. But then, he heard the blonde boy's voice over the noise of the restaurant and realized that Sasuke's arrival might have been a blessing in disguise.

"Are Sakura-chan's parents already waiting for us?"

* * *

For yet another instance, Kakashi found himself playing spy for Sakura. This time, he was in a rather busy diner as he tried to sip coffee as innocently as possible. From behind him, he heard Naruto's chatter as the boy greeted who Kakashi assumed was Sakura's parents. Kakashi wouldn't dare turn around to see their faces as he was pretty sure Sasuke's distrust for him would increase a hundred fold if he found the older man in their presence again. He heard them settle down and order their food. As soon as the waitress left, he heard Sakura's father speak.

"Thank you for coming all this way, Sasuke-kun, Naruto-kun. I can only imagine how busy the two of you are at university, yet you still managed to squeeze in the time to meet us on your visit to Konoha."

It was Sasuke who responded first, "it was no big deal, Kizashi-san. Naruto and I are planning to meet with you anyway. How are you and Mebuki-san holding up? I think it's been close to five months since we last saw each other."

There was a pause, as if the older man was thinking carefully of what he wanted to say. "Terribly." He said. "Ever since that day, ever since the accident-" he said trailing off, in a voice that said that he was remembering something painful.

 _So it was an accident,_ Kakashi thought, noting this new piece of information. A new lead to unlock the mystery of Sakura's death.

"How about you, Sasuke-kun, Naruto-kun?" Said a female voice that belonged to Sakura's mother, "are you coping well?"

Sasuke sighed, "Sakura-chan was family to us, Mebuki-san. I don't think I can say we're faring any better than you and Kizashi-san."

"Not to mention we'd been at university, away in a different city, while Sakura-chan is hospitalized." Naruto continued in a regretful tone, "we're sorry, Mebuki-san, Kizashi-san, for not being here sooner."

"Ah, but it's not your fault, boys." Mebuki said in a tone that brook no argument. "Sakura-chan would have hated it if you missed school for her. Besides, you were the ones who took her to the hospital when she – when she – " Mebuki couldn't finish the thought as Kakashi heard her break down into tears. Beside her, Kizashi whispered soothing consolations, despite the obvious pain coloring his voice as well.

"Mebuki-san, if there's absolutely anything, assistance of any sort, that I or my family can offer, just name it." Sasuke said, sincerity shining through his voice. It was the first time that Kakashi heard strong emotions coming from the usually stoic young man. He must truly care about Sakura.

"You've been enough help, Sasuke-kun." Kizashi said firmly. "You and your family did all that could be done for Sakura, and we are thankful."

There was silence that lasted for a few minutes until Naruto spoke again. "No." He said quietly, "It's not enough. You don't understand, Kizashi-san," he was now speaking with a tone of desperation. Kakashi heard Naruto take a deep breath, as if bracing himself. "What happened to Sakura," he continued in a low voice, "was our fault."


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: ...this was supposed to be a one-shot.

Also, you guys should check out the cool new KakaSaku stuff for KakaSaku Month 2018 over at Tumblr!

* * *

Sakura supposed that forgoing normal, everyday human experiences was part of dying. And while she's clearly thankful to finally ditch using tampons monthly, there were some human necessities she'd like to still experience. Not being able to eat, for example, bummed her out. Not having to sleep was fun at first, until having nothing to do while everyone around her had to rest became too old. She had voiced out this concern to Kakashi one time, and promptly invited him to a 122 hour, 26 minute non-stop Marvel Cinematic Universe movie marathon, just so she could finally have something to do in the dead hours of the night. The latter only rolled his eyes and went back to sleep, leaving Sakura alone again in the darkness of the apartment. Sakura huffed and glided to her claimed spot by the apartment's largest window where she stayed and looked at the moon and at the busy street. As she watched, entranced by the slow movements of the clouds and hustle and bustle of city night life, Sakura slowly felt herself drifting away. And on that night, the same day that Sakura remembered Naruto's and Sasuke's names, Sakura began to dream again.

 _She had been with her boys, for that is what they were:_ her _boys, when the letter of acceptance from medical school arrived. She was sprawled on her back on the floor of her bedroom as the boys sat beside her and they watched a movie together. Her mother knocked on her door, and handed her a letter with the seal for Konoha University. Sakura felt her heart leap to her throat at the sight of the envelope that determined her future. With a reassuring smile to her daughter, Mebuki left the room._

 _"Is that what I think it is?" She heard Sasuke say from behind her. Sakura nodded._

 _"Well?" Naruto asked, excitedly, "aren't you going to open it?"_

 _She didn't reply. Sasuke sighed. "Sakura," he said firmly, "don't be too nervous. It's going to be fine."_

 _She turned to face them, finally letting them see the uncertainty in her expression. "How can you be so sure?" She said in a small voice, "what if I didn't pass?"_

 _Naruto and Sasuke looked at each other, exchanging small smiles, and then turned back to her. Naruto stood up and cradled Sakura, who was slowly turning into a nervous wreck, in his arms. He led her to the bed were Sasuke was seated and gently pushed her into a sitting position in between the two of them. Sasuke raised his hand and patted her head comfortingly._

 _"You passed." Sasuke said, with a voice that exuded confidence. "You passed because Konoha University would have to be run by idiots for them to fail to see how brilliant a student you would be." Sakura smiled a bit at his words. Sasuke can be really sweet sometimes. "And even if you didn't," Sasuke continued, "Naruto and I would always, always be here for you."_

A lot similar to waking up, Sakura came to her senses as the sun rose from the horizon. Sasuke's voice was still ringing inside her head, and she was pretty sure that if she had functional tear ducts, she would be crying, what with the panging she was now feeling in her heart. She had a few more minutes, give or take, before Kakashi woke up and she used it to regroup and manage her emotions.

To regain the ability to dream had been jarring, after what felt like endless days and nights blending into each other. Sakura wasn't even sure if it should be called a dream, to be honest, as it felt a lot similar to the flashback that first brought back the memories of Naruto and Sasuke. Nonetheless, she felt grateful for it. The memories she regained were nowhere near enough to piece together the mystery of her death, but it was enough to make her feel hope, an emotion foreign to her for quite some time now. Sakura smiled a bittersweet smile. Naruto and Sasuke loved her so much, didn't they?

* * *

For the third night in a row, Sasuke caught his best friend crying. He knew for sure, though, that Naruto cried far more than the few times he was caught. Sasuke would know. He did the same. Peeking at the doorway of the kitchen of their shared apartment, Sasuke debated on whether he should come and comfort the man crying like a little boy at the kitchen counter. On one hand, he didn't know how. On the other, he knew that Naruto needed him now, just as much as he needed Naruto, and that if he didn't do anything he might lose his best friend to grief. Sasuke shook his head and decided to make his presence known. He can't stand losing another one of his precious people.

"Naruto." The other man slowly lifted his head that was buried in his arms as he sobbed on the counter. His clear blue eyes sparkled with tears and his lids were puffy from crying.

"Sasuke," he whispered, sounding more vulnerable than he ever did in all the years that Sasuke have known him. Sasuke approached him and sat on the kitchen counter, his back to his friend. If he was going to try to help Naruto be strong about this, it wouldn't do for the latter to see his vulnerability, and Sasuke didn't trust himself enough to not show emotion if Sakura was the topic.

"I won't even ask you anymore if you're okay. You clearly aren't." Sasuke said in a level tone. Naruto frowned.

"Yeah, I'm not." Naruto said with a sad grin, "I wish I were more like you Sasuke. You seem to be coping well enough."

Sasuke let out a harsh laugh, "ha. One of us has to keep it together, Naruto, and it obviously isn't you."

For a while, silence prevailed between the two men. "It used to be Sakura-chan," Naruto finally whispered, finally voicing out who the two of them were thinking about. Dear, old, Sakura-chan, the glue that held their little group together.

Sasuke sighed, "is that why you were crying? Did you dream about her again?"

The planes of Sasuke's back were rigid. The tension in his muscles told Naruto that Sasuke was as uncomfortable as he was in talking about this, but knew that they both needed to in order to cope. "I dreamt about the day she got her acceptance letter to medical school," Naruto began slowly. "She was scared to death of opening that letter."

"She was," Sasuke replied, looking back on that day. "We both knew she would pass, anyway. That girl is brilliant."

Naruto smiled, because, yes, Sakura was indeed brilliant. Smart. Responsible. Hard-working. Maybe, too hard-working, at times. "I have a confession," Naruto suddenly said. Sasuke inclined his head to indicate that he was listening. "Sometimes, I wish that Sakura was rejected by the school." Naruto whispered, as if revealing a dirty secret, "that way, she would have come with us to the same academy, and we wouldn't have to be apart. Then maybe…then maybe this wouldn't have happened."

Sasuke snorted, "how utterly selfish of you." He said in a tone that held no real rebuke. He wouldn't admit it, but sometimes, he thought of the same thing too. He sighed. "Naruto, you don't really think that, do you? Medicine was Sakura's dream, and we promised to support her in that."

Naruto looked away, "on days that I really miss her, I do. I know it's wrong, though. It's not like medical school was the one that took Sakura away permanently."

 _'It was us'_ were the three words that remained unspoken.

* * *

Roughly a month after moving in, Kakashi wondered why he was getting strange looks from his neighbors. He also wondered why the young teens who lived in the building seemed to shy away from him, and why parents liked to hide their children behind their backs whenever they saw his presence. As he really didn't care about making friends with his neighbors, he decided to shrug this off at first. He realized that something was up, though, when a young girl fell to her knees in front of him, and when Kakashi tried to help her, her eyes widened in fear and bolted in the opposite direction, scraped knees and all.

"Oh. It's because there's a rumor that you kidnap teenagers and torture them inside your apartment." Sakura said nonchalantly one day, when Kakashi told her about his experiences with their neighbors. Kakashi's eyes widened in shock.

"What? I'm a cop. Where did that idea even come from?" He asked, exasperatedly.

Sakura rolled her eyes, "Kakashi, Kakashi, didn't you know that it's a common movie plot twist to make the supposedly good guy the evil mastermind?" She said, patronizingly.

"And you said I'm the one who watches too much police dramas," Kakashi grumbled. "Still doesn't make sense why they would suspect me. I haven't done anything at all."

Sakura grinned sheepishly, "well, it might have something to do with me screaming at sunrise, loud crying at noon, and howling at midnight. I think they have this idea that they're hearing one of your victims."

Like any normal, sane person, Kakashi's first thought was _why the everloving fuck?_ At least the girl had the gall to look embarrassed as Kakashi resigned himself to a sigh, "do I even want to know?"

Sakura pouted, "I'm bored!" She wailed, "I'm dead, and I'm stuck here with nothing to do. The least I could do is enjoy the things ghosts do in their free time," she reasoned.

Kakashi felt like he was a dad dealing with a particularly rebellious teenage daughter. "And what is it that ghosts do in their free time? Scare people to death?" Kakashi deadpanned. "Sakura, you can't just go around and try to frighten people. It's not right." _And I'd rather my neighbors don't think I'm a psychopath,_ Kakashi added in his head.

Sakura glided towards him and patted his head, her ghostly hand passing through Kakashi's skull. Her touch was cool, and felt a lot like a winter breeze blowing at Kakashi's ears. "There, there," she whispered consolingly. "Just think of this as extra motivation to get me out of here as soon as possible."

Kakashi glared at her. Was he being punished because she felt like he wasn't moving fast enough? "I'm trying and you know it." He growled.

Sakura raised a brow as she crossed her arms. "Oh, do I?" She challenged. "I wouldn't know, Kakashi, as you've failed to tell me _anything_."

Well. Kakashi walked right into that one.

The day that he returned from tailing Naruto and Sasuke to the meeting with Sakura's parents, Kakashi went home tired from processing everything he just heard and what these things could possibly mean. He didn't realize that he was at his front door until he was opening it and calling out his greeting to Sakura, a habit he had gotten into ever since he had accepted that he was now not alone but living with a ghost.

"Sakura? I'm home."

Kakashi collapsed on the couch and closed his eyes. He felt her presence glide into the living room and settle beside him "Tough day?" She asked.

He side-eyed her, "and why do you think that is?"

Sakura grinned, "well don't keep me hanging. Tell me how it went. As I can see no Naruto or Sasuke in your person, I assume the plan to kidnap them, as we agreed on yesterday, did not work." She said thoughtfully. "Unless they're in the trunk of your car." She finished with a hopeful lilt in her voice that Kakashi almost felt bad for disappointing her.

"Sorry to tell you, they're not. And for the record, as police chief of Konoha PD, I'd like to remind you that I also didn't agree to kidnap anyone, thank you very much."

Sakura rolled her eyes and poked Kakashi's cheek. Her finger went right through his flesh as he shuddered at the sudden cold brought about by Sakura's ghostly finger. "You're. No. Fun." She said, punctuating each word with a poke.

"That's only because it looks like you're already having enough fun for the both of us." Kakashi said as he rolled his eyes, "seriously, though, stop poking my cheek. It feels weird."

Sakura quickened her poking pace in response. "Not until you tell me everything that happened earlier." She said, with a renewed vigor in abusing Kakashi's cheek.

To be honest, this was the moment he dreaded upon coming home. He was sure that Sakura would pester him for information as soon as he got back, and while he knew that it was highly likely that Sakura would be able to move on by knowing about her death, Kakashi just can't bring himself to tell her what he heard today at the diner. Naruto's admission of guilt came as a surprise, it's true. He didn't expect the seemingly sweet and cheerful boy to be involved in the death of his best friend. But more than that, Kakashi didn't want to think how Sakura would feel if she found out. How hurt she would be if she found out that her two best friends, who she loved the most, played a hand in her death.

In all fairness, if Naruto's emotional breakdown at the diner was anything to go by, it seemed that both he and Sasuke didn't mean to do it. They were, in fact, remorseful, practically grovelling at the feet of Sakura's parents to please, please, forgive them. Kakashi's years of service as a cop, though, told him that tears and a show of remorse do not necessarily equate to innocence. Not always. Crimes of passion, after all, happened in the heat of the moment, often with the suspects losing control of themselves and with them regretting their actions afterward. Regret doesn't make them any less of a criminal. And as far as Kakashi's concerned, right now, there was a dead girl, an admission of guilt, and an uncertainty on whether there is justice to be served.

After Naruto broke down at the diner, Sasuke ushered him and Sakura's parents to talk in a more private location. Kakashi, of course, was unable to follow. After all, if he planned to completely uncover the mystery behind Sakura's death, it would do no good to be caught now. He was interrupted in his musings by Sakura's voice beside him. She had finally stopped poking his cheek and was now looking at him worriedly.

"Kakashi? Is something wrong?" She asked.

Kakashi shook his head, "nah, just tired. Can we talk about this tomorrow, Sakura?"

The girl nodded, yet her brow was still furrowed in worry at his condition. "Are you sure you're okay, though?"

Kakashi smiled. Nearly a decade of living alone, in both the figurative and literal sense, caused him to forget how nice it felt to have someone fretting over you. "I'm fine. I just need to sleep."

Sakura's features relaxed at his reassurance. "Of course. Good night, Kakashi."

As he was falling asleep, he could have sworn he heard soft singing from beside him and felt a soft caress, almost like a breeze, running through his hair. That night, Kakashi had the most peaceful sleep he'd had in years.

Despite his promise to Sakura that evening, they never talked about that day. She continued to pester him about it, of course, but Kakashi wouldn't budge. He had finally come to a resolution. At least until Kakashi knew the whole story on how she died, he would spare her from the hurt of knowing that her death was caused by the two people she trusted the most. Sakura was having none of that, however, and demanded she knew everything that happened. Kakashi had been successful in evading her questions up until today.

The girl's arms were crossed, hip cocked, and face fixed into a scowl. She was the picture of a disgruntled soccer mom who was demanding to talk to the store's manager. Kakashi thought she was rather cute and he had to smother a smile, which he failed to do, causing Sakura to glare more.

"Kakashiiiiii," she whined.

"Sakuuuuraaa?" He said, mimicking her pitch.

"Stop mocking me," she huffed, annoyed.

Kakashi raised his hands in surrender, "I'm not, I'm not."

"You most definitely are."

He sighed, "okay fine, I did. I'll stop. But Sakura, you've got to stop scaring the neighbors. While I really couldn't care less what they think, I don't fancy the idea of being labelled as a psychopath who gets his kicks out of torturing teenagers."

Sakura stared at him, as if evaluating his words. "I'll stop –"

"Thank you."

Sakura raised a finger, "I'll stop, only if you tell me what you found out when you followed Naruto."

Kakashi frowned, "I thought we're done with this conversation."

"We are not! Those are my friends! It's my death that we're talking about here!" She exclaimed, hurt seeping into her voice. "I don't understand why you won't tell me," she finished in a small tone, her fight evaporating.

Kakashi looked at the girl in front of him, her shoulders hunched in defeat. He understood where she was coming from. He would be mad too if their places were switched, but in the short while that they were together, Sakura had been the thing that Kakashi looked forward to everyday. He enjoyed their banter and her smiles and how, despite being dead, her eyes shone with life; while Kakashi, who still breathed, lived like a walking corpse.

"I'll told you, I want to confirm something first. Please trust me on this, Sakura," he said, hoping that his sincerity was showing in his voice.

Kakashi watched the shift in expressions in Sakura's face as she considered his words. She looked like she wanted to argue at first, opening and closing her mouth wordlessly. "Fine." She sighed, defeatedly. "I trust you, Kakashi." She said as she met his eyes with a small smile.

Kakashi smiled back as he slowly felt butterflies erupting in his stomach at her gaze. He would have probably stared at her for hours, dazed grin on his face, if Sakura had not cleared her throat at the discomfort of being looked at for so long. This brought Kakashi back to his senses and he quickly turned away in an attempt to hide his slowly reddening cheeks.

"Anyway," he said as he rubbed his neck, a nervous tick he had picked up from adolescence. "Glad to have all that sorted out."

Sakura had to muffle a laugh behind her hand. Who would have thought that the chief of Konoha PD is a blusher?

* * *

Despite how lazy one's conscience is, it's bound to manifest sooner or later. After a few weeks of abusing his power to pull out files – some, confidential – from the station's archive, it finally dawned on Kakashi that it was probably unethical to use his status in the police force to acquire information for personal use. After a quick back-and-forth with his inner self, Kakashi reasoned that, technically, he was doing this to solve the mystery of a girl's death. A death that could have possibly happened in his jurisdiction, so technically, this was completely within his duties as a cop. The fact that he had very little regard for mundane things like protocol only served to ease his decision-making.

Unfortunately for Kakashi, though, there were no records about Sakura at all. While it was a good thing that, prior to her death, she was not involved in any accidents or crimes or law-breaking, it did pose as a challenge to find out more about her. Naruto and Sasuke, on the other hand, were a different story. The two had been involved in quite a few small-time troubles in the city prior to leaving for the academy. Nothing major, mostly teenage troublemaking. Kakashi chuckled at the picture of stoic, well-mannered Itachi painted in contrast to his little brother with a rebellious streak.

The elder Uchiha brother came in when Kakashi was engrossed in a particularly humorous record on how Naruto and Sasuke were caught streaking in front of an abbey. Itachi came in his superior's office without knocking – which was uncharacteristic for Itachi who was a stickler about manners – while locking the door behind him. Kakashi looked at him with a raised brow.

"If you wanted to get me alone in a locked room, Itachi, all you had to do was ask." Kakashi said with a saucy wink. Itachi, who mostly maintained a look of condescending disinterest, crumpled his face in apparent disgust at Kakashi's words – a win, in Kakashi's opinion.

"Just kidding, Uchiha-san," Kakashi backtracked with a chuckle before Itachi popped a vein. Seriously, the boy's strict nature reminded Kakashi so much of his own younger years. He almost found Itachi endearing. "Did you want something?"

Kakashi watched Itachi's eyes flash to the open files on the table before returning to meet Kakashi's gaze. "I think the question is, what do _you_ want, Hatake-san."

Kakashi leaned back on his chair, arms crossed and feet propped up the table. "I want many things, Itachi. Lower fuel prices, grocery store coupons, the 10th anniversary edition of Icha Icha – you're going to have to be more specific." Kakashi studied the young man in front of him. He knew exactly why Itachi was here. He supposed, sooner or later, the elder Uchiha brother, with all his famed brilliance, was bound to catch on that something was amiss. It's always a pleasure to watch his subordinates squirm, though, so Kakashi tried to feign innocence.

However, Itachi, who had a 3 o'clock appointment with his hairdresser, was having none of his games. "I know that you know what I'm talking about, Hatake-san. Now tell me. Why are you going after my brother?"

Well, that was a grand total of two minutes before Itachi got fed up and dove straight to the point. Kakashi resisted the urge to pout at having his fun spoiled. "I'll answer your question if you answer one of mine," Kakashi said after a thoughtful pause, "what do you know about Haruno Sakura?"

If Kakashi was not an experienced professional in a field that occasionally dealt with disguise and deception, he would have missed the way Itachi's eyes widened in shock at the mention of Sakura's name before returning to the stoic mask it usually is. "I think I should be the one who should ask you that." Itachi murmured.

Kakashi tsk-ed. "That's not how this game works, though, Itachi."

For a moment, the two men stared at each other, as one would when sizing up an opponent. It was Itachi who relented. Sighing, he decided to humor Kakashi. "Along with Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura is one of my brother's best friends. They grew up together, and I have interacted with her a lot of times, but we were never really close. She died in an accident three months ago." Itachi's reply was curt and crafted such that he would be giving minimal information on the subject. Kakashi, however, was already picking apart in his head the measly information that Itachi supplied.

He had said three months, which meant that Sakura was just two months dead when Kakashi moved in the apartment. Kakashi would need to check Naruto and Sasuke's whereabouts around that time. Another word in Itachi's statement struck him. "You say accident?" Kakashi asked, skeptically. Itachi narrowed his eyes, picking up on the tone of suspicion directed at him.

"What's your point?" Itachi asked, cautiously.

Kakashi leaned forward on his desk, leering at Itachi intimidatingly. "Nothing. Just that, I've heard otherwise." He said in a nonchalant tone, as he crossed his fingers in front of him.

Not liking where this conversation was going, Itachi did not dignify his comment with a response, but instead chose to pursue his agenda. "I answered your question." Itachi said firmly, "now answer mine. Why are you going after my brother?"

To the normal, untrained eye, Itachi was the picture of calmness. Kakashi, however, had been there when the boy was a new recruit who had yet to master the art of keeping his emotions in check. Right now, Itachi's eyes were nervous and spoke of worry for Sasuke. He was hiding something and Kakashi knew it. While this revelation was, in some way, heart-warming – for it was very rare for Itachi to show affection, much less concern, to anybody – it was also sickening as it strengthened Kakashi's hunch that Sasuke and Naruto were not as innocent as they seem. If he finds out that they were truly guilty, he could only imagine how badly Sakura would take it once she knows the truth. To know that the best friends who she trusted with her life, were in some way responsible for ending it.

With Itachi's earnest gaze trained on him, Kakashi supposed that it was now or never. "I'll go straight to the point," he announced. "Your brother and his friend are suspects on Haruno Sakura's death."

The first emotion that played on Itachi's face was shock. He looked like he was not expecting what Kakashi said, based on the way his façade faltered. Itachi's eyes flashed in anger before his features were schooled to a mask once more. Despite this, Kakashi could still sense the righteous anger bubbling inside Itachi at the accusation. "Haruno Sakura died in an accident." Itachi said forcefully.

Kakashi stared at him straight in the eye. "Uzumaki Naruto claims otherwise."

Itachi's brow furrowed at the revelation, "you've spoken to Naruto?"

Kakashi ignored his question. "You say that Haruno Sakura died three months ago. This must be the reason why her case was still not in our archives. Am I correct in assuming that you took on the paper-pushing for this case, as you have done in all the other cases where your brother might be implicated?" Kakashi asked, gesturing at the open folders in front of him, all containing records of Sasuke's and Naruto's teenage shenanigans, all of them containing Itachi's neat print and elegant signature.

"My brother has done nothing wrong! All of those are small-time backyard hijinks that teenagers engage in. I'm sure none of those warrants the accusatory tone you're speaking with right now," Itachi defended.

Kakashi nodded thoughtfully, his finger tapping his chin in a gesture of contemplation. "Yes, I do agree that vandalism, streaking, and the occasional gang fights are not things to be concerned of," he agreed. "It's just that, with you pulling the strings whenever your brother is involved, I'm not entirely sure that the records are as accurate as they should be."

Itachi looked at the former incredulously. "Are you suggesting that I'm covering up for Sasuke, Hatake-san?" He asked, taking offense. "Are you questioning my integrity as a police officer?"

"Maybe not in those earlier cases," Kakashi relented. "But on Haruno Sakura's death? I think you're the type of person who would sacrifice the world for your brother, Itachi, and if there's any chance that harm might fall on Sasuke, I'm sure you'd do everything in your power to stop it."

There was fire in Itachi's eyes now. "I'll bring you her case file." Itachi declared. "I don't know how you came to the conclusion that my brother is to blame in all of this, but I'll prove you wrong." And with a swift turn, Itachi left the room.

* * *

On some days, Sasuke liked to visit Sakura's grave alone. He would keep these visits a secret from Naruto, as he was sure that the blonde would insist on tagging along. Normally, Naruto's company was welcome. But there were days when Sasuke would be too tired to be the strong one, too tired to take on the role of keeping them together – too tired to take on the role that Sakura left behind. On these days, he would go to her grave on his own. Sometimes, he would just sit next to the marble stone, and stare at her name, as if enough willpower will bring her back to life.

Sasuke gently placed a handful of flowers beside her name and let his fingers run through the gold engraving. "Sakura," he whispered hoarsely, "I miss you."

Sasuke says these words reverently, almost like a prayer. The words he had always thought of, but never voiced, are muttered in the air never to be heard by its intended recipient. "If I could do it over again," he continued, "I'll do it differently. I'll do it correctly. Sakura, I-" Sasuke gasped through gritted teeth, as he tried to keep his emotions in check "-I should have been the one who died."

He felt himself leaning against the headstone, his forehead pressed against the cool surface. Tears ran across his cheeks, despite his best efforts to keep it in. "Sakura," he cried, "I'm sorry."

* * *

The report that Kakashi was holding says that on a Tuesday night, exactly three months ago, a vehicle driven by Haruno Sakura was caught speeding on road cameras as it was exiting Konoha borders. It drove on as the concrete sidewalks slowly melted into the lush greenery that surrounded Konoha. The accident happened a couple of miles outside the city proper, at a deserted area surrounded by dense forests, a point somewhere in between Konoha and the neighboring city of Suna. Investigations claimed that she lost control of the car, eventually crashing it onto a thicket of trees which led to a steep cliff. An anonymous tip alerted the authorities of the accident, and the car – along with Haruno Sakura's body – was retrieved at the cliff's bottom the following morning.

Itachi watched expectantly as Kakashi pored through Sakura's file. He had written the report himself and knew that it was cohesive, thorough, and in no way would suggest that Sasuke had a hand in any of this. "I hope you're satisfied, Hatake-san." Itachi said as Kakashi laid down the file on his desk. "As you can see, the investigation showed that everything was an unfortunate accident. I don't think you'd doubt the judgment of your own team on this one."

Kakashi eyes crinkled as he gave the younger man a smile. "Indeed." He agreed with a serene nod, "this seems satisfactory, Itachi-san. I'm sorry for accusing your brother."

The abruptness of Kakashi's change in conviction was lost on Itachi, or if it wasn't, he chose to not notice. The tension in his features slowly leaked out. "Well then," he said with a curt nod, "I only hope this does not happen again, Hatake-san. I will be taking my leave."

Kakashi watched Itachi as the latter exited through the doorway. The boy was a genius, a true gem among Kakashi's men. He was meticulous, and thorough, and hard-working to a fault. He had never seen any work from Itachi that came out less than flawless.

However, it seemed, that even the great Itachi had his lapses too.

Among the sheets that contained the narrative behind Sakura's death, Kakashi stared at the photo of the morning the police found the car. The shot was taken from the passenger's side, looking in. A female form in a bright red yukata, whom Kakashi supposed was Sakura, was lying face down, her arms draped over the steering wheel, the gearshift poking at her stomach, and her feet at the passenger's side. Her legs were at an odd angle, and appeared to be crushed by the dashboard, which probably held her in place throughout the fall to the bottom of the cliff. Both airbags at front were inflated. Both stained with blood.

It was obvious from the way that Sakura's feet were trapped at the passenger's side. It was obvious from the fact that both driver and passenger airbags were bloodied. What happened that night may or may not be an accident, but these things were for sure. Sakura was not alone that night and it was definitely not Sakura who drove the car.

And either Itachi had missed these details, or he was covering it up.

As Uzumaki Naruto's profile flashed on Kakashi's computer screen, naming the boy as the owner of the crashed vehicle, Kakashi was inclined to think the latter.


End file.
